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Interrupted Journeys: Part 3 Journeys Begin  by elliska 9 Review(s)
ZardiReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/15/2014
I have been reading this story for the past few days (haven't read part 1 and 2...I wanted to see Legolas ;) ), and I have enjoyed watching Amglaur reluctantly warm up to Thranduil. I just about died when he called Thranduil "ion" in this chapter.

I am also enjoying the side plot about treason, but I like the family moments more.

J.G.EReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/31/2005
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY. Its an update! Its an update! Its an update! (starts jumping up and down). Wow, things are really starting to heat up. Marti is up to her old tricks again, but this time its serious. At the beginning I thought she was just going to be a love-sick pest, but now she is starting to cause some real damage and give poor Thranduil a bad reputation. Speaking of which, I'm glad that Thranduil is giving Tulus another chance, but his son is, to me, a little bit too suspicious: he won't answer any of his father's questions concerning the letters he wrote, he becomes angry and defensive too easily and I can tell that his promises are fake, just don't ask me how, I just have a huntch.

Plz tell me that Thranduil will get captured and tortured and...and...and. I don't know why, but I want him to be tortured, although for some wicked reason, I love having my heroes in lots and lots and lots and lots of pain. Leggy is also my hero, but there is too much of him in pain and I think he needs a break, don't you? But this your story so you go by the way you want or think is best and if you need any ideas or anything I am glad to be of service and you only need to ask. Peace out J.G.E.

P.S. Did you get my E-mail (I hope so, it took me forever to do)? If not, I'll send another one


Author Reply: Hi JGE. I'm glad you are excited. :-) Yes indeed Marit is not going to give up and she wasn't lying when she said she's in a better position and not a worse one. She is serious trouble. Thranduil proved her wrong in the way that he handled Tulus and the other conspirators and I think that probably brought them back to his side, but nothing is going to accomplish that with Marti. She thinks she is justified in her actions, as you will see. I'm glad you liked the way Thranduil handled it though. That part was hard to write. And you should be suspicious of Glilavan. Definitely.

As for the level of pain in Thranduil's future in this story, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I must say I do not write that sort of thing well so it will not appear. There is a definite amount of angst, but it is all of the emotional variety in my story. Have you ever read Cassia and Siobhan's Mellon Chronicle stories. I think you would like them, if not and they are well written. There are 3 of them, I think that specifically involve Thrnaduil and not just Legolas. If you haven't read them, search for "Mellon Chronicles" in your favorite search engine and then click on "Top Picks" in the left frame for their stories. And that whole archive has numerous hurt/comfort stories that you might enjoy.

No I did not get an email from you. Send it to elliska67@yahoo.com and make to put something Tolkien related in the subject line so I know it's ok to open.

Thank you for the reviews. I always love reviews. :-)


BrazgirlReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/31/2005
Hi Elliska! The "conversation" between Thranduil and Tulus was... hot! I love it! Well done, well done! Strong and emotional, very nice! I read it very fast. Anyway, Thranduil is a nice person above all things. For me, though, the best part of the chapter was Amglaur saying he was going to live in Greenwood! Ahahahha the king did not expect that! ;-)
But... I did not expect Tulus's son to be one of Marti's!!!! No!!!! I hope Thranduil finds out! And his nephew, poor one! You are making me nervous with thos creepy elves - creepy Marti! Now there is a lot to explain about her. I simply though she loved the king and hated Lindomiel, but there are more deep things there... Great plot!

Author Reply: Hi Brazgirl! I'm glad you liked the conversation between Thranduil and Tulus. I thought about that a lot because I wanted it to come across as fair but not whimpy--in the end though, there are only so many things I can see an elf doing in reaction to someone who willingly confesses and shows remorse. So this is the direction I went. :)

And I am glad you were surprised and worried about Tulus's son. I do feel sorry for Dolgailon there. in the Epilogue, there is a part where Dolgailon speaks with Tulus. Right now it is cut but I really would like to think of a way to work it back in before I post the Epilogue (which will hopefully be tomorrow, barring any disasters).

And yes, indeed, Marti is much worse than she first appeared, isn't she. You will find out the details. Eventually.

But I agree--the part that cracks me up the most is Amglaur saying he's staying until Legolas comes of age. Thranduil did not see that coming and despite the fact they are getting along a little better, I still bet he wanted to run screaming when he heard that. :-) Poor Thranduil!

Thanks so much for the reviews. They really mean a lot to me. :-)

The KarenatorReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/30/2005
Thranduil handled the interrogation of Tulus well. What to do with an immortal being in terms of punishment is certainly a tough one. And since the elves were supposedly wise...in most instances...wisdom should cut both ways. Still, just living begets mistakes. Then...it turns into a big old mess. Not only have Tulus and his cohorts been involved in sedition, but they've tried to capture/assassinate the queen and the commander's wife. Not to mention that in the process, the children were endangered. Thranduil's in a tough place. You did a nice job of showing how miscommunication/misinterpretation of actions can result in bad feelings. Tulus has obviously matured and reconsidered his anger, but he's in so deep now that he'll be lucky to survive the wrath of She-Who-Can-Carry-a-Grudge. And boy, oh boy, this grudge has become her life's work.

I have to say though, I'm disappointed in Glílavan. Really, I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, it looks like he has his own agenda...or is still mixed up in SWCCAG's. The bad news is that he's young and apparently a chip off the old block. I hope his adar can pound some sense into his head before he ends up as fish food. Thranduil is wise to not trust either of these fellows.

And what in all of Arda did Oropher do to the elleth and her family? If nothing else, it demonstrates a frightening level of determination.” I love this line. Determined, indeed. Crazy as a bat without a belfry! I can't wait to hear what Galadriel and Celeborn have to say. Surely, the Lady of Light remembers Marti. Surely...

I've really liked the way Amglaur's and Thranduil's relationship has changed over the years. It's taken a while, but finally Amglaur has had to admit that Thranduil is devoted to his daughter. Amglaur even called Thranduil 'ion-nin'. Minor little slip there, but very telling. I love the game you came up with! Sounds far more complicated than mine. You might have best a seller there!

I also liked what Thranduil had to say about how Evil had shaped his life and how he wanted to focus Legolas on the beauty of Arda rather than the darkness. And Amglaur is so impressed that he's going to stay until Legolas is grown. Oh joy! Still, the relationship is better and there's a chance that it might be civil. A chance....

Marti isn't going to give up, is she? The fact that she believes that she still has allies...now even closer to the king...is rather chilling.

Only one more chapter to go? Did I read that somewhere? I hope you won't be too long in getting on with the next installment. The suspense is killing me.

Karen


Author Reply: Hi Karen. :-) I'm glad Thranduil and Tulus came across ok. It was tough to decide what to do with Tulus. I think, since they did confess and cooperate and all that--and they all claimed not to be involved with the assassination thing--Thranduil could see hope for healing, so he took it. I think for an elf, that would be the preference. Marti and Fuilin would get a different fate if Thranduil could catch them, but that's the trick isn't it. And you're right--once in deep with anything like this--especially SWCCAG :-) -- getting out is not going to be as easy as saying, 'I don't want to play anymore.' As for Glilavan--I think you will be more disappointed still before the end.

You will slowly see what Oropher did--it is complex. :-) Marti, like Tulus once did, truly feels justified in her deeds. Tulus could really understand Marti very well. Or he could if he knew what she was really about. He will find out. Soon enough? We'll see.

Galadriel! Can you imagine how Thranduil would feel if he came to owe her something? I just love Thranduil and Galadriel together.

Yes, Amglaur has been won over. It may have been painful for him, but he can't deny it. Poor Thranduil--now he has to live with it. :-) I wonder if Thranduil would prefer to be hated instead?

The game is really very complex-- it's a strategy game I used to play as a teenager with friends called Conquer (just put the name in Sindarin here). You have land and armies and supplies and all that and the goal is to maintain enough land to accommodate an expanding population. It had a lot of variables and was fun to play (think a 70's board game version of the computer game Civilisation). But I still like your game better--such a clever and ME idea. :-)

I'm glad you liked Thranduil's comments on evil and keeping Legolas focused on the beauty of Arda. When I thought about Thranduil and his childhood (since I have him old enough to remember Doriath) and then I think about Fellowship Legolas (who is ready to turn away from the quest to go look at the Huorns and who plays games with Gimli and goes off looking for the sun) I see Legolas as someone still very innocent and merry and interested in the beauty around him. That could be because he is very young during the quest. But since I have him born in the mid Third Age so that I can play with other canon events (as you will see), I've got to account for that playfulness some other way. And I think Thranduil, after seeing such horrible things, would be pretty determined to help his son see a better world than he saw--that is why Oropher came east in theory. Anyway, that is what I will play with in that arena.

But no, Marti is not going to give up and she's not lying when she says her position is better and not worse than before. Chilling is a good description for her. As was the one refering to bats that you made earlier. :-)

Yes, only the epilogue to go. It is only a little fluff, really. The end of the prologue. I hope I won't be too long in moving to the next part either but I have to decide which part the next part will be. There is the next part that actually advances the plot. And then there are little fluffy things I wrote just to fill out Legolas's childhood in my head. I can't decide how many, if any, of those I'm going to post.

I started to think about that today so hopefully I'll come to a decision soon.

Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. :-)

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/29/2005
Don't worry -- I meant "emotionally draining" in a good way. I actually had a sublimely wonderful time this weekend, but deep joy can be just as exhausting as deep sorrow. Fortunately, though, it was definitely deep joy.

Author Reply: Oh thank goodness. That's much better. :-) I really am glad you said because I did worry.

French PonyReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/29/2005
This won't be much of a review. I've had a very long, emotionally draining weekend, and I don't think I'm capable of writing something penetrating and analytical yet witty tonight. But I did want you to know that I read the chapter, and that I thought it was very good. I loved the way Thranduil went about interrogating Tulus. It showed his willingness to listen to what Tulus said and to what Tulus didn't say, and it also showed his willingness to consider his own behavior as well as the behavior of his subjects. Very few colonist lords are so accommodating.

And I also liked what Amglaur had to say. He's really warmed up to Thranduil over the years, and he has some very good advice to show for it. I like the idea that they are reaching some kind of entente with each other. And once again, the only way they can do that is if they both give a little.

Author Reply: I wish I could do something to make you feel better since you always make me laugh. Thank you so much for taking the time to review.

I'm glad Thranduil and Tulus came off ok--I wanted to show him just as you said so it makes me happy to see it worked. And yes, poor Amglaur and Thranduil are finally meeting in the middle--you'd think they would after so much time. I really appreciate you you taking the time to share your thoughts on this when you are not feeling well. I hope it was a least a distraction.

I wish you nice chocolate and wine and the company of those who make you feel wonderful. Take care. :-)

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/29/2005
I read this last night and then my internet connection went bad and I couldn't review. And I had so many things to say!

Thranduil shows himself to be a just ruler here. It really is hard to know how to deal with elves who have broken serious laws. I suppose if you live forever, you have to believe in the possibility of rehabilitation, and in Tulus's cases that seems like a reasonable belief. But the son! Oh no. Did Tulus know the letters were in some kind of code? He seems to have guessed it. Wow. This is a problem.

I liked Amglaur's threat pledge to stay around until Legolas is of age. I was also intrigued by the fact that Thranduil says he promised his wife they'd have only one child to raise at a time. That suggests how seriously they took the task. But how sad that the kids are still worried. That's realistic though.

Author Reply: We will not discuss technological problems. Technology is out to get me.

I'm glad you think Thranduil comes across as just. I thought a lot about this when I was writing it. I did not want him to come across looking like and idiot / not responding enough. And I thought about how we have seen him respond in canon--he doesn't exactly hesitate to lock up 12 dwarves when he sees them as a threat (of course, he has a goal in mind with that--he wants to encourage them to answer his questions and he has time to wait). On the other hand, he is willing to show someone like Gollum mercy and let him out to find healing in the forest. And these are elves, not dwarves, his own people, that have confessed. In the end, I decided an Elven ruler would need to find a long term solution, as you said--these people live forever.

But the son, indeed! You will have to wait to see what Glilavan's involvement is and how much Tulus actually knew or at least suspected of it and how big a risk he is taking to cover for him. In the end though, Tulus is trying to help his son, I will assure you of that much. Glilavan is a problem, as you said.

Poor Thranduil. Fifty years of Amglaur--it's enough to make you not want any more children to prolong the agony. ;-)

Poor kids indeed. I think it is realistic, though. They'd question a lot of things after seeing what they did. The next chapter is mostly happy though for them so it ends nicely. This time. I'm afraid you're right though--in the long run, loss is real in Tolkien's world--that's why I don't have too much room to give you a hard time ;-)

Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them so much. :-)

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/29/2005
Well. I think Tulus was being pretty honest. And Thranduil admitted that he had been wrong, which'll help. I could see Tulus becoming reconciled and helping out Candirith's wife and general recovering. And I suppose a couple of thousand years in the outer darkness because of some inconsidered mouthing off is probably not too unendurable if you're an elf.

But, Glílavan! I can see why Tulus would be more economic with the truth when it's a matter of his only child. I can see why Glílavan would be stroppy and get involved with the BS - after all he has grown up knowing that his father was treated badly by the steam roller of royalty. But I don't want him to turn out to be a baddie! He is Dolgailon's friend - and Dolgailon trusted him. And besides, I want Tulus to escape the wiles of the Maiden of Doom.

Have the guards thought about looking round for some rather large lakes? Esgaroth is probably a good start! The Black Swan'll be out there on the water somewhere preening her plumage. (I liked the comment about sneaky manipulative behaviour - and usurping control - being a Noldor trait. Generalisation thought it is.)

I rather hope that Galadriel manages to make Thranduil obligated to her in some way, though. I get a little tired of sanctimonious Silvans. (I know he's the King of the Silvans rather than being one himself, but I liked the alliteration.)

And Thranduil is going to be stuck with Amglaur indefinitely! I love seeing those 'you must come and stay' comments coming back to haunt him. Although Amglaur seems much more appreciative of his son-in-law's good qualities these days. It's interesting to hear more of Oropher. (You must put in some more conversations about him.)

This bit Tulus’s eyes narrowed and he gave his son a slight shake to draw his attention. “You make sure you mean that, ion nin. I will not allow you to come to harm. You are all I have left in the world. Do you understand me?”

Glílavan looked at his father for a long moment. Then he nodded.
just caught my eye. Oh dear. It has ominous written all over it. And scapegoat.



Author Reply: more economic with the truth ROTFL!! Just have to start out by saying that this line killed me.

You're right--Tulus was honest for the most part. I think he really does just want what is best for the forest and his family. And that's tragic because once you get yourself involved in things like this, it's just not as easy as all this to get yourself back out. As we will see. But I'm glad you like Tulus and Glilavan (I swear if I type Gilbert and leave it that way by accident in the actual post I will blame you!). You caring about them will make things more interesting later.

Looking around Long Lake--now that was funny. Funnier than you know as you will find out. And usurping control is a terrible generalisation but it is one of those little lines that will be meaningful to Thranduil later.)

Accepting help from and being indebted to Galadriel is just going to kill Thranduil, isn't it? (I loved the alliteration).

There is a line in the first chapter of part two where Lindomiel jokes with Thranduil that one day Amglaur is going to accept his invitation--the day has come. Poor Thranduil. Though you are right--Amglaur is much more tolerable now. Still, poor Thranduil. :-)

I'm glad you liked that between Tulus and Gilbert--I debated heavily even putting that conversation in. It is meant to be ominous and a bit ambiguous--we will see what Tulus and son get themselves into soon. Legolas just needs to grow up a bit first.

Thank you so much for the reviews. I really love them. :-)

Elena TirielReviewed Chapter: 15 on 5/29/2005
Well, so much happened in this chapter... Thranduil's interview with Tulus was tense, but Thranduil seemed very wise in the way he handled Tulus' punishment.

But... ack! Please don't let Glilavan be involved! I like him! But you really left his words and behavior with his father ambiguous (no doubt 'cause of your NCA genes [Nasty Cliffhanger Author])...

I'm really getting to like Amglaur. Your family scenes are heart-warmingg and make me smile...

And if Marti is indeed holding a grudge for six thousand years (and that's not just a lie she made up to beguile Tulus), she is one truly scary nut-case. I would actually like it if Galadriel has some information that helps Thranduil.

(Hmmm, do sapphires signify anything in LoTR? Can't think of anything...)

Carry on soon with the plot and the plotting, please!

- Barbara

Author Reply: Hi! I'm glad you liked the discussion between Thranduil and Tulus. It was tough for me to decide what to do with these elves at this juncture--especially since there are others coming later. I think that in the end, a good Elven ruler (after they got over how angry they were ;-) ) would have to think of a way to heal their community--some long term solution. So that is what Thranduil is attempting to do. But as he says, Tulus and the others have to be willing to rejoin the community. We will see if they are.

Glilavan is meant to make you wonder--you are quite right. :) So I'll be mean and just let you do so. I fear the NCA genes (loved that) do come out in a few of the up coming stories. Sorry.

Marti is a real case--I have notes for all the important characters. The notes for Thranduil are about one and a half typed pages. For Marti, they are three typed pages with a bunch of stuff I added later written in the margins. I am writing the part of my First Age thing (that is sort of the back story for this) that really involves her and it is a lot of fun.

Poor Thranduil would just be so upset if Galadriel actually helped him. It'll just kill him. :)

As for sapphires, if they have a LotR significance, I did not intend to apply it here--but you have so piqued my curiosity (you are very bad for that, you know) that now I will have to look into it. So many jewels do, of course. I really meant it as simply as it was stated there--her adar gave his children the jewels as symbols of the sea. It actually hurt me a bit to make her jewel a sapphire because they are my favorite stone and Marti creeps me out.

Thank you so much for the review. I do love hearing what strikes people. There is only the epilogue left in this story. I'm not going to promise when it will be up even though it is written (it's just the second half of the prologue)--I seem to jinx myself when I make promises.

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